Happy Birthday to Me

I'm officially 28 and I'm so excited for a new year! 

So much has happened this past week.

1. My ladies group threw a mini surprise for me last Tuesday

2. I walked a "fun run" on Sunday 

3. My wonderful friends threw me a surprise dinner the night before my birthday

4. I decided to keep the dog I found a couple weeks back.

5. Celebrated my 28th Birthday yesterday.

Sadly, not many pictures were taken, but here's what I have.

All a wonderful start to November! I'll share my 28 before 29 soon!!

Welcome November / November Goals

I love the Fall. It's my favorite season. Maybe because my birthday is in Autumn.

This Summer and some of Fall has already passed by. But I'm excited that in Arizona "Fall" is just beginning.

I've missed blogging. I always have ideas for my blog, it's always evolving in my head, fear and time prevent me from executing them.

I'm sick of fear. I'm sick of not having enough time.

These past few months I've:
Tried online dating - I need help in this area... My poor, poor profiles.
Had my church, basically start over.
Fallen in love with YouTube makeup tutorials.
Learned I want to head towards a minimalist lifestyle.
Thrown a mini-surprise party for my not so little-little sister.
Found a local gym and working with a physical trainer.
Found a beagle who has been staying at our house.

I have so many dreams and goals - It's time to start walking in faith.

So, welcome Birthday Month! Welcome November, I'm so glad you're finally here.

My goals for November need to be simple, not stressful, and attainable.

5 Simple Goals

1. Finish at least 3 books.
2. Get into the routine of going to the gym.
3. Start planning a capsule wardrobe.
4. Have all my Christmas shopping done.
5. Keep my room clean.

These are all attainable -

1. I have some "overdue" books from friends that need to be read. 
2. My trainer and I are working on a schedule this upcoming week.
3. This upcoming weekend, which is the weekend before my birthday, I plan on going through my closet and getting rid of at least 60% of my closet.
4. Christmas always sneaks up on me. Not this year, I will not be shopping on Christmas Eve.
5. This is the hardest one, but as I continue to purge, I'll have less to keep track of!

What are your November goals? Have you been as busy as me?

31 Days of Intentional Prayer: Day 3

Today was a hard day!! Working 50+ hours a week wears on me body, mind, and soul!

But I'm working to "live like no one else, so I can live like no one else." Thanks Dave Ramsey!! More on that later!

My prayer comes from one of my favorite redemption stories!! Paul, formerly known as Saul.

Well it's not a prayer, but I'm basing it on his words in Romans 7:

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:15-25 ESV

Now this is a long passage and quite deep. But the prayer is simple:

Lord, help Your desires become my desires. May I die to my flesh daily, more of you and less of me! God, may my sinful nature not get the better of me! Lord, may you be the true Lord of my life! I'm getting off the throne and allowing You to do what You will in my life!

In other news my prayer journals came in!! I have over a years worth in here so, I can't wait to share them with you!!

31 Days of Intentional Prayer: Day 2

God, if You don't want me to have it take it away.

This is the most painful, because this prayer usually comes when I really want something, but I put it in God's hands.

31 Days of Intentional Prayer: Day 1

We are the light of the world, we are the city on a hill.” 

 

Those words ring true today on the first day of October. Say What!! It’s October.

I love the 31 days of blogging. It challenges me to be intentional. It challenges me to write every day.

 

I was praying about what I wanted to share for 31 days. I could talk about my fitness routine, or lack there of.

I could talk about my “hardships” at work and how to overcome them.

Then I just felt overwhelmed, and realized, I should pray to see what the Lord wanted me to talk about.

You may say, wait that’s a little weird. Why would you pray about this?

Because I believe God has a plan, even in the things we believe are mundane.

Then I felt a peace and knew what my subject would be. 

 

PRAYER!

 

My prayer life is suffering, thus my whole life is suffering.

I’ve decided to change that. I ordered some prayer journals to get me through the rest of the year and all of next year.

But, just because I have something doesn’t mean I’ll use it.

So, I’ve decided to blog 31 days of intentional prayer.

What does that mean?

It means that I will intentionally pray every day – and share the prayer or the subject, or just how my prayer life is changing my life.

Prayers have power, I believe that with my whole heart.

God hears my prayers.

 

Day 1:

Prayer @ Work

Each day I may share a prayer that I wrote, from the Bible or somewhere else. Today's prayer has been made popular by AA and other 12-step programs, but is very applicable to my job. It's called the serenity prayer: 

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference."

Wow, how good is that? I will be saying that prayer until it becomes a mindset! I hope you'll join me for the next 31 Days!!

 

Sermon Notes

Just these 3 core values are exactly what I needed to hear this month morning!

Life

They say honesty is the best policy.

I really hate that phrase. Not because I like to lie. I just don't like sharing the "dirty laundry" of my life.

But I also don't believe in just sharing the good things in life.

Next week, I'll have been in AZ for a year. I still have the same job, and have been attending the same church since January. But, I still feel like I just moved here. I still don't have a core group of friends who "get me" and I just feel lost and alone. I know I'm suppose to be here that's about the only thing I know without a shadow of a doubt.

I was talking with my younger sister last night and I looked at her and said "Life sucks right now." She gave me that look everyone gives a single person look - "It will get better." But, it may not. The bible says you will go through trials and tribulations. It doesn't anywhere share the "prosperity gospel." I think I've had too many positive people talking in my life.

Don't get me wrong, we're suppose to "count it all joy." But if I hear any of these phrases one more time, don't get upset with me if I react in an unpleasant manner.

"Oh Lauren, your time will come."
"This will be you in a few years."
"He's out there."
"When you stop dwelling on it, it will happen."
My personal favorite. "Have you..." (the answer is always 'yes')

There's no one to ask what I'm doing wrong. So, I rely on just hearing from the voice of God. But in this area, I feel like I hear absolutely nothing.

What am I doing wrong? I'm tired of limbo. I know my life doesn't revolve around relationships - friend or romantic, but it also doesn't mean my life doesn't involve them.

It hurts when you thought the people who were there for you give no reaction to your negative response to life... Maybe I'm looking for Jesus in others. When I have the opportunity to just look for Jesus.

With tears in my eyes - I'm honestly saying life is really hard right now. But hey, c'est la vie, that's life.